Easy Slow Cooker Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe
Spaghetti Bolognese is one of those meals that doesn’t need to be complicated. It’s filling, everyone knows what it is, the ingredients are easy to find and it’s brilliant for those days when I want dinner sorted without spending ages in the kitchen later.
Making the Bolognese sauce in the slow cooker makes it even easier. I add the mince, vegetables and tomato sauce, leave everything to cook slowly and then just cook the spaghetti when we’re ready to eat.
I’ve made Bolognese in various ways over the years, and I don’t usually bother browning the mince or frying the vegetables first when I’m using the slow cooker. You absolutely can if that’s how you prefer to make yours, but for me it rather defeats some of the point of having a slow cooker in the first place!
This is also a really easy recipe to adapt. You can change the vegetables, use a different type of mince or make extra sauce to freeze for another day.
If you’re looking for more meals you can get started earlier in the day and forget about for a few hours, have a look through my slow cooker recipes too.
What mince should I use for slow cooker Bolognese?
Beef mince is the obvious choice and probably what most of us think of when someone says spaghetti Bolognese. I usually choose a fairly lean mince because you don’t get the same opportunity to drain lots of excess fat away when everything is cooking together in the slow cooker.
That doesn’t mean you have to use beef. Turkey mince and chicken mince both work if that’s what you prefer or simply what you’ve got in the fridge.
You can also make a vegetarian version using a meat-free mince. I’ve been vegetarian since I was 10, so I’m certainly not going to insist that a Bolognese has to contain beef!
If you use a meat alternative, check its cooking instructions rather than automatically giving it the same long cooking time as raw beef mince. Some meat-free products only need adding later in the cooking process.
Do I need to brown the mince first?
I don’t usually bother.
Some people prefer the flavour and texture they get from browning mince first, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with doing that. Brown it in a frying pan, drain away any excess fat if necessary and transfer it to your slow cooker.
If I’m making a slow cooker dinner, though, I generally want the slow cooker to save me work rather than give me another pan to wash!
When adding raw mince directly, break it up well rather than putting one enormous lump of mince into the slow cooker. Most importantly, make sure the meat is thoroughly cooked before serving.
What vegetables can I add to Bolognese?
Onions, peppers and celery are an easy combination and they’re what I’d start with, but Bolognese is also quite forgiving if you’ve got vegetables that need using up.
Carrot is an obvious addition, and mushrooms work well too. Just remember that mushrooms release quite a lot of water as they cook, which matters more in a slow cooker because very little liquid evaporates.
That’s one of the reasons I wouldn’t empty half the vegetable drawer into the slow cooker just because it needs using!
I don’t bother frying my vegetables first. I chop them, add them raw and let them cook with everything else.
If you’re cooking for someone who objects to visible pieces of vegetables, chopping them quite finely can also make them disappear into the finished sauce a little more.
What sauce should I use?
You can make the tomato sauce from scratch using passata or chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, garlic and herbs. I’ve also got my own easy pasta sauce recipe if you’d like a starting point.
If you’re using chopped tomatoes rather than passata, expect a slightly chunkier sauce. Passata gives you something smoother.
A jar of Bolognese or pasta sauce is also an option when convenience matters more than making everything from scratch. I’m not going to pretend I’ve never used a jar!
The important thing with a slow cooker is remembering that liquid doesn’t evaporate in quite the same way it does from a saucepan. If your sauce looks slightly thin towards the end of cooking, remove the lid and cook on HIGH for a little longer rather than immediately adding more ingredients.
Equally, don’t automatically add extra water or stock at the beginning unless your recipe actually needs it.
How long does spaghetti Bolognese take in the slow cooker?
I cook the Bolognese sauce for around 2–3 hours on HIGH or 6–8 hours on LOW.
The exact time can vary a little between slow cookers, and it will also depend on the ingredients you’ve used and how finely you’ve chopped the vegetables.
Give everything a good stir when you add it to the slow cooker and break the mince up well. If you’re around, you can stir it occasionally during cooking too, particularly when cooking on HIGH.
Before serving, check that the meat is thoroughly cooked and that the vegetables are as soft as you want them.
Do I put the spaghetti in the slow cooker too?
I don’t.
I make the Bolognese sauce in the slow cooker and cook the spaghetti separately shortly before we’re ready to eat.
That way I can cook the pasta exactly how we like it without worrying about it becoming too soft or soaking up all the Bolognese sauce.
Spaghetti is the obvious choice, but there’s no rule saying you have to use it. Penne, fusilli and other pasta shapes are often easier for children to manage, and they’re just as good at carrying the sauce from the bowl to your mouth!
Cook your chosen pasta according to its packet instructions, drain it and serve with the Bolognese sauce.
Is slow cooker Bolognese good for batch cooking?
Definitely. In fact, if I’m going to have the slow cooker running for hours anyway, making enough for another meal makes a lot of sense.
I prefer freezing the Bolognese sauce rather than spaghetti already mixed with the sauce. It gives you much more flexibility because you can cook fresh pasta when you want it, put the sauce over a jacket potato or use it for something completely different.
Cool leftovers promptly and store them safely in the fridge or freezer. Dividing the sauce into individual or family-sized portions before freezing also means you only have to defrost what you actually need.
When reheating meat Bolognese, make sure it is thoroughly reheated all the way through before serving.
For current food-storage and reheating advice, check the Food Standards Agency guidance.
What can I serve with Bolognese?
Spaghetti and a little grated Parmesan are the obvious choices, but don’t feel you have to stop there.
A simple salad or some vegetables alongside it make an easy family dinner, while garlic bread is lovely when you fancy something a bit more substantial.
Leftover Bolognese is also brilliant on a jacket potato, especially if there’s only enough left for one person rather than another full family meal.
You could also serve the sauce with a different pasta shape. I’m firmly of the opinion that dinner doesn’t stop being Bolognese because somebody chose penne instead of spaghetti!
What about Slimming World spaghetti Bolognese?
Slimming World has changed over the years, so I’d always recommend checking its current guidance rather than relying on Syn values from an old blog post. Just remember the lower percentage fat of mince is always healthier and fresh pasta often has added oil,
If you’re simply trying to make a lighter Bolognese, choosing lean mince, adding plenty of vegetables and making your own tomato-based sauce are easy options. But equally, one meal doesn’t need to tick every healthy-eating box on its own.
More easy slow cooker recipes
If you like having dinner bubbling away while you get on with everything else, have a browse through all my slow cooker recipes. I’ve got curries, chilli, casseroles, chicken recipes, pulled pork and plenty more.
For another mince-based slow cooker dinner, try my chilli con carne, which we’ve made plenty of times over the years.
My slow cooker sausage casserole is another lovely one when the weather turns colder, while my slow cooker chicken tikka masala is worth trying when you fancy a homemade curry night.
You can also browse my budget meals if keeping the food bill under control is as important as keeping dinner easy.
